I'm a guy, I swear
by Chazz 'Selrahc
Summary: AU  Lightning enrolls in Fal'Cie academy, the worlds premiere private school, to become strong enough to protect someone she loved. The only problem? It's an all male school. When she makes a bet to enter the school her life starts to get interesting...
1. And in the begining there was us

_Looking back on my life I can't help but wonder when was the first time I ever felt happy… and of course I remember you, and the first time we met…_

A five year old girl with long pink hair ran gleefully through a field of flowers. Her hair, tied in pigtails, flapped behind her head as she ran from her father, a tall man with equally pink hair and matching blue eyes. They were both laughing, having a good time in the cool Bodhum spring.

"Claire." Her father laughed as his daughter, dressed in only the cutest light pink sundress, dove into the flowers which were already taller than she was. "I can't see you dear." He looked around the tall dandelions, knowing that his daughter had turned their frolic through the flowers into a game of hide and seek.

Claire, meanwhile, had found a hole in the ground to hide in, holding a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't giggle and give away her location, she started to climb down, and tripped coming to a landing on something soft..

"Ow…" Claire blinked and looked down at what she had landed on. She had been in such a hurry to hide that she hadn't realized silver haired five year old was already hiding in the hole, and was now being sat on by Claire.

"Sorry!" She whispered softly as she got off him. "Are you okay?" The boy smiled and sat across from her in the hole.

"Yep." He smiled a toothy grin, one of his front teeth missing having recently fallen out. "It takes more than that to crush me." Claire tilted her head to the side and looked at him closely.

He was wearing dirt stained shoes and green pants. A yellow shirt with an orange jacket, and bellow his neck laid a lightning bolt pendant.

The boy squirmed a little bit under the intense scrutiny of Claire's cerulean eyes. Though even if her look was intense he couldn't help but be captivated by those eyes. They seemed to look through him, as though plumbing the depths of his soul for something hidden, he decided that her eyes were...

"Hey you eyes are pretty." He said in that way all children say things, simply, honestly and without caring how it was taken.

"You's to!" Claire smiled, looking to the soft, kind, green eyes of the boy. "I've never seen eyes like that before. Most people here have brown or blue eyes, but you're the first to ever, ever, have green eyes!"

The two laughed quietly. It was one of those instant bonds that young children seem to form. Without the prejudice or scars of life they trusted everything, and everyone, easily and without doubt.

"Hey why are you hiding here?" Claire tilted her head to the side and asked the boy. He grinned sheepishly, putting a hand behind his head and looking down slightly.

"My mommy and daddy were arguing." He said softly, pained. "And I… I kind of didn't want to hear it so I ran." Claire frowned as she heard the sadness and heartbreak in his voice. With a solemn look she grabbed his hand and pulled him into a strong, warm, hug.

"It's okay." She said gently, trying to comfort her new found friend. "Everyone argues. Even our parents. You just have to be strong and wait, okay?" She released the boy and smiled down at him.

The boy blinked once as he looked up at Claire. It had been a long time since someone hugged him… he had almost forgotten how nice it felt.

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"Because you love them silly." Claire reached out and flicked him between the eyes, gently. "And as long as you love someone you should try your bestest for them."

"Y-you think so?" The boy asked, rubbing his forehead gingerly.

"I know so." Claire smirked and put a thumb to her chest for emphasis. The boy nodded and opened his mouth to say something when…

"Hope!" A worried female voice shouted.

"Where are you son?" Followed by an equally worried, and slightly panicked, male voice.

"That's my mommy and daddy." The boy exclaimed, mouth agape slightly.

"Your names Hope?" Claire asked as she stood up.

"Yeah." He smiled again, Claire liked that carefree, hopeful, smile that he seemed to wear so easily.

"I'm Claire." She extended a pinky towards him. "Let's make a promise."

"What kind of promise?" Hope locked pinkies as he stood up, he was an inch shorter then her.

"We're going to meet again Hope." Claire said. "We'll meet again real soon, promise?" Hope's eyes gleamed.

"I promise!"

Hope left and Claire followed. She watched him run off towards his worried parents. The wind brought his nice, kind, voice to her ears. Hope sounded really happy.

"Did you make a new friend?" Claire's father asked, kneeling down next to his daughter. Claire turned towards him with and hugged him about the side.

"Yep!" She said excitedly, father hugging her back. "His names Hope." Claire looked up into her dad's blue eyes. "We're going to meet again real soon, we promised! And we'll be great friends…" The man laughed brought his daughter up into his arms.

"I'm glad you made a friend." He said while carrying her. "I have a feeling you two will be quite the pair…"

_It's still one of my favorite memories. You were so kind and trusting back then. You know I still find it hard to believe that we met up again. We were seven then, we thought we knew everything. Like any seven year old could know how the world worked…_

Claire was wearing loose swim shorts and one of her dad's T-shirts, tied in the back so it wouldn't fall to the ground and trip her. Her hair was tied back in a pigtail, much to Claire's annoyance.

However Claire's annoyance always faded when she looked at the one that had done 'this' to her. Beside Claire skipped her four year old sister, Serah. Serah wore purple swim shorts and pink shirt with yellow polka dots. Her hair was tied to mach her sisters, which made them like almost like twins except for the obvious height difference, with Claire being taller.

"Come on!" Serah squealed as she ran towards the evening's approaching surf. "Let's play in the water!"

Claire cast glances around the area, looking for anyone who would dare threaten her sister. After all her dad had charged Claire with keeping Serah safe, and even at such a young age Claire valued Serah's life over everything.

"Coming." Claire said after a moment, right after she was sure they were alone on the beach.

Serah beat her sister to the water. The energetic four years old charged the incoming tide with reckless abandon, giggling like a maniac when it pushed her back unto the beach.

Claire watched and sat at the edge of the tides reach. Honestly Claire had more fun seeing Serah have fun then she did participating in her sister's childish games. The fact that Claire herself was a child, with her own childish games, never crossed her mind. Instead when she was with her sister Claire settled into a defensive older sister mode, almost acting like an adult.

"This is fun!"Serah shouted as the foamy water washed up to shore next to Claire.

"I guess it is." Claire smiled down at Serah and patted her sister on the head. "But don't you get tired?"

"Nope! " And with that Serah was back in the waves shouting happily.

Claire shook her head, wondering where her sister got such endless energy, and laid back against the soft sand. Her eyes stared up at the sky, which was bathed in golden yellow and deep purple hues. Claire smiled up at the pretty sky, the stars were one of her favorite things to look at when night fell.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Claire jumped as a voice spoke from beside her.

She looked at who the voice belonged to and smiled. It was Hope. His hair was a little longer and he had a bruise on his cheek. But it was him with the green eyes and lightning necklace.

"Hope!" Claire's face brightened up and she tackled him where he sat. "Is that you?" She asked from above Hope, who was pinned beneath her.

"Yeah." He smirked up at her, all his teeth where their this time. "Claire is that you?"

"Yeah!" And she hugged him. "See? I knew we'd meet again."

"I know." He said happily.

"Are your mommy and daddy getting along?" Claire's fell into a semi serious look as she still hugged him tightly.

"Kinda." The boy said sadly. "They don't yell, but mommy looks so sad when she looks at me…" Hope looked away, hurt shining in his green orbs. "I think I did something that made her sad…" Claire touched her forehead to his, forcing the silver haired blonds wise eyes to look up into her honest, knowing, eyes.

"I don't think you could do anything to make your mommy sad." She said earnestly.

"Why?" Hope asked doubtfully.

"Because when I see you I'm always happy!" Claire exclaimed as she got up to her knees over Hope, looking down at him.

"Really?" Hope looked amazed as Claire nodded.

"Yep! I'm always so happy when you're around." Claire put her fists on her hips and grinned cockily down at Hope. "And just ask my daddy, it's really hard to make me happy."

The two just smiled at each other a moment. A moment which was interrupted as Serah gaped at her older sister.

"Claire, is that your boyfriend?" Serah asked amazed as she stared at her sister, who was still over Hope.

"Ew!" The pair exclaimed at the same time, both blushing as the separated.

"Girls are gross." Hope said, sticking out his tongue for emphasis.

"Nuh uh, guys are the ones that are gross." Claire stated.

"It's okay." Sera smiled a toothy grin. "You're both gross!"

"Hey!"

_I don't remember what happened next. I think we laughed, maybe we argued a little bit. I do remember your mother, with her hair that's so much like yours, running up to us and playing. You were right though, there was a sad look in her eyes. But it wasn't your fault, things just happen. _

_You never said much about it, but I know your parents were having problems. You lived down in Bodhum with your mother, right down the street from me. Man, the next three years were a blast, I don't think I could have made a better friend. _

_I never got to thank you… My mom died four years later, and you missed the funeral completely. I thought you hated me as I stayed by her grave all night. But it turns out you and me; we were the people who loved her the most…_

Claire, now thirteen, was wearing the simple black dress her father had given her to wear to the funeral. Perhaps made isn't the right word. Claire felt so numb and dead inside that she if someone had told her to jump off a building she probably would have without a second thought.

She could best describe it as a hole being ripped out of her chest. Like someone had wrapped his hand around her heart and tore it from her body. The pain was so intense she was merely numb to everything around her.

She could barely remember the priest speaking, saying a blessing for the departed. Or the eulogy, telling everyone there of what Claire's mother had accomplished. She barely remembered the people coming up to her and wishing her well, telling her it would be okay.

She did remember as the casket was lowered into the ground. It was at that moment when her heart exploded. She had tried to get at the casket, begging them not to bury her mother in a fit of sobs and the bark of a grief cracked voice.

She remembered seeing the dirt thrown down into the hole. Remembered her father telling her to be strong, that he too would someday be buried and she would have to lead the family. Claire only cried harder, Serah trying to calm her sister down.

Claire wasn't sure what happened, but she found herself alone by the grave. She vaguely remember her father sighing and picking Serah as everyone left, telling Serah that Claire just had to deal with this herself.. And his voice.

_It was cold.._ Claire looked absently at the grave stone.

It said something nice about her mother, etched n black on the silver stone. But with her tear blurred eyes she could barely tell the gravestone apart from the dirt it stood in.

Slowly, lethargically, she fell to her knees. Her eyes, a dead blue, stared at the tombstone. The seemed to plead, begging whoever was there to bring her mother back. Or to at least take her as well.

She blinked once as a white color seemed to float in front of the grave stone. Her eyes couldn't focus through the moisture that poured from them. But a single white thing was slowly laid down in front of the tombstone; a human shape wearing white approached her.

"Claire.." Hope's voice... she recognized his voice.. Recognized that she hadn't heard it through the entire funeral, he hadn't been there when she needed him most..

"Just go." Claire ducked her head, voice a half sob half plead. "I don't need you.. You weren't here when it happened… so just, just go."

Hope could see a pair of knees fall to the ground in front of her own, her soft skin touching the smooth brown fabric that covered his legs. She was about to glare up at Hope, swing a punch at him, when she felt his arms wrap around her shoulders and pull her into his chest.

For a moment Claire was going to push him away. Push him away and tell him she hated him and never wanted to see him again..

"It's alright." But. "I'm here now, I'm not going to let you go through this alone." As the soft cadence of Hope's voice washed over her ears she couldn't move. "I promise I'll always be here for you, no matter what." It was like she was paralyzed, frozen in time, as his words shattered the fragile barriers that held the pain back..

Claire's arms grabbed Hope harshly around the waist, fingers digging into his white shirt and the skin beneath, as her head buried itself in her shoulders. As the sobs came, unhindered by anything, from her throat his arms gently made circles in her back.

"It's going to be alright." The first drop of water fell unto their shoulders. "You're going to be okay." The second and the third as the sky seemed ready to cry for Claire's loss. "I know you hurt right now, but you will be okay." Heaven's dams broke, water started to pour from the sky in a cleansing stream, the clouds white. "You're my best friend, I'll make everything okay…"

"How can you say that?" Blue eyes, desperate for the truth, looked up into kind, wise, green. "How can anything be okay ever again?"

"Because.." He smiled slowly, sadly, and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I know you. And you're stronger then you'll ever give yourself credit for.." His arms let her go for a moment, as she stared up at him dumbfounded.

Claire was silent for a moment, not sure what we should say or feel or do. But as she felt a necklaces chain wrap around her neck she couldn't help but to keep staring at him, at his green eyes and white hair.

"This was my moms." Hope said as the finished putting his lightning pendant around Claire's neck. "It's my promise to you, that no matter what happens we're together.."

It was at that moment the sky sobbed, a flash of white lightning striking the ground behind Hope..

_That was the moment I took the name Lightning. You thought it was cute, you said as much as you held me until the break of dawn. I told you to shut up or I'd clock you.. Heh, funny how I miss those times, how they all came to a sudden end.._

_It was barely a year later.. We hung out every day. I practically lived with you, you're dad gave me my own bedroom and everything. Somehow I wound up part of your household as my dad distanced himself from everything. Looking back that was the happiest time of my life, those are the days I wish I could get back.. But even the happy things come to an end eventually.._

Lightning fidgeted nervously in the hospitals waiting room. She had been trying not to cry for almost an hour, but as she rubbed her eyes she found out she hadn't been as successful as she had hoped. There was the slightest moisture there, coating her fingers in a salty embrace.

Her hand fell like a raindrop from her face and to her lap. It made a dull sound as it hit her other hand, eyes dropping like a bomb to the floor.

Everything sounded so loudly quiet in her ears. The rushing of paramedics and the shout of doctors no louder than a feather dropping to a floor made of pillows. The ambulances siren a single pluck of the harp, seeming to pierce her heart.

She wasn't sure what had happened. It was a blur from sitting beside Hope in the car, on the way to some kind of pastry store, to the crash.

She could still hear the sound of metal being peeled apart like paper in the back of her mind. See the sleek red sports car, going too fast, smash into Hope's side of the car.

It was a red filled blur as the driver's side of the car buckled like a desk hit with a sledgehammer. Metal splinters flying in all directions, red splashing across the car with them.

Claire didn't really remember the ambulance arrive almost ten minutes later, didn't remember being pulled into the vehicle as they checked her body for injury's, which she didn't have. No, what she remembered was Hope dragging her stunned body out of the car and collapsing in her arms, blood pouring down his face and dripping down unto her face and white vest.

And now she was sitting here, waiting for someone to say something about what was happening. Was Hope alive? What about his mother Nora? She was driving, was she alive?

Lightning wanted to sink into herself as she shakingly pulled her knees to her chest. The world seemed to close in around her as the most important person in her life was possibly fighting for his life.. Or dead.

_Shut up, shut up, shut up._ Her mind repeated like a broken record as images of a gravestone with Hope's name on it filled her mind, and she was kneeling at his grave trying to dig down to hi…

"Claire Farron?" Lightning's head snapped up at the sound of the doctor's voice.

His smocks were sullied with blood, his shoulders sagged and his earthy brown hair poked out from under the sanitary cap on his head.

"Y-yeah…" Lightning said slowly, trying not to sob. If the doctor looked like this she could only imagine what happened to Hope..

"The boy you came here with, he's alive." The doctor said, already turning to leave. "I'll have a nurse take you to his room…"

"W-what about his mom?" Lightning swallowed hard, a sinking feeling taking her heart from her chest and down into the painful acid of her stomach.

"She's in a coma." The doctor glanced back at her, brown looking sympathetic. "We don't expect her to recover…"

_I still don't remember how I got to your room. Honestly it's all either a blur or missing from my memory completely now.. All I really remember clearly is sitting next to you. Your father would come in worriedly look at you, occasionally looking into my eyes.. And I saw blame in them. In his heart he blamed me for this.. Like it was all my fault somehow._

_I couldn't blame him.. We were going out to get a treat because my team won a soccer match, making us the top team in our league. It was all my fault, all my fault. And maybe I thought when you woke up you would hate me, blame me. I hoped you would forgive me when you woke up, be understanding… Maker I wish anything had happened except what did.._

The sunlight came into your room in a hazy way as dawn slowly broke. Lightning looked out the window at the beautiful scenery. Bodhum's beaches were gorgeous, with the light filtering down almost lazily to them, reflecting off the water and sand in the oddest way.

Lightning had always thought the dawn was the nicest time of the day. It was when darkness and light danced together over the sky and the land. Until the darkness took its rest, leaving the world to the lights warm caress, until the night where they would dance again.

"Ngh." However as Hope groaned her eye's tore from the dancing world and to Hope's barely breathing form.

"Hope.." Lightning said in a breathless gasp as she ran to the side of his bed. "You're alright." The biggest smile crept its way unto her face, as pink hair fell around her head.

"Yeah.." Hope looked up at her, his eyes misted and face unreadable.

Lightning stared down into his eyes, looking for the wisdom and love she knew. His misted green eyes stared back up at her, seeming to slowly scan her face. He was trying to discern something, as though he was seeing her for the first ti…

"Who are you?" That sentence rang like a gun shot.

Lightning stared down at Hope, still smiling, as those words took root in her mind. Her hair fell in her eyes, obscuring them from his vision. Her lips twitched oddly and she drew in a low, sharp breath.

"N-no one.." Lightning swallowed as she unconsciously backed away from him. "J-just.. Wrong room. Sorry to b-bother you…"

"Wait.." Hope started to say, even getting up, but he was too late. Lightning ran from the room, Hope could see a tears streaming from her eyes as she disappeared. "I didn't even get her name…" Hope stared after her, feeling like something important had just slipped from his grasp..

_Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome combined with a severe concussion made him forget about me. The best times of my life were gone, my best friend.. The boy I was in love with, forever lost to me. My world ended that day. _

_I was too weak to protect you. That was two years ago to this day.._

I pulled thick, black, biker boots over my socks. Metal shin guard being tied around my right shin, pressing the black fabric of my pants to my body.

_I'm stronger now._

I pulled a black long sleeved shirt over my flat, gauze wrapped, chest. The cool fabric of my new school uniform felt comfortably warm around my cold blooded skin.

_Today I'm going to the Fal'Cie Academy, the school my father runs. _

I brushed my short pink hair, cursing the stubborn strands that seemed to always fall in my face in a spiky way.

_Fal'Cie, the all male island academy. It's raised the world's strongest soldiers, smartest tacticians and most influential politicians._

As I walked from my dark bathroom I pulled my white vest off my dresser and slung it around my shoulders and on to my thin body. I stop to look in the mirror, leaving my vest open in front.

I look like a feminine guy. From my strong chin to seemingly flat physique. I gently touch my abs, no I may not look it but there is definite muscle mass there.

_My dad made a bet with me. If I could pass as a male student he'd let me join. I never understood dad, I can't find a reason for him to do that. He doesn't gain anything if I win or lose.. I don't know, and I don't care._

I reach up to the silver chain around my neck. Gently I pull my most sacred possession from its place under my shirt. The lightning pendant came from my shirt color with a gentle tug and came to rest against my chest, gleaming brightly in the last rays of dawn.

_I'm finally going to be strong.. For you Hope. Today I'm going to become strong for you…_

_Heh. Looking back on it all I can say is that life has a sense of humor.. And sometimes things turn out in ways we never expected them to…_

* * *

><p><strong>(AN)**

**...I should probably put something here shouldn't I? Life's been strange this year, I've barely had time to write in the last three, four, months. With college prep, suicidal friends and a generally depressed mood I just haven't been able to write much. Sorry to those who know me here, but I'm back now. I don't have as much free time to write as I used to, but everything will come to fruition. I don't start something and not finish, but right now I need to start something and get my creative ability flexed. I hope to get published in the next year or two (fingers crossed) so I need the practice… It's my goal in life to be a published author.. so it's what I'm going to try and do this year.**

**I liked how this chapter came out. The first half was written shortly before my hiatus, the rest was written about.. an hour ago actually. I hope you can see the difference in skill from the first and second halves, now the only thing I can't decide is should I write the rest of it third or first person.. And on a side note, I'm sorry about the summary, I suck at summary's. If anyone has a better summary inbox me, or drop it in a review, and I'll see if it'll work.  
><strong>

**I'll probably have another chapter in a day or two, I'm kinda staying up extra late because I've been talking to this girl.. heh, I know I'm hopeless… but I like talking to her, she makes me feel like maybe my life is going to be alright… it's be a long time since I felt that.**

**Look at me, rambling about my life.. well I hope you at least enjoyed the story, I like writing this. It'll develop pretty nice over the next couple chapters, I think it'll be a favorite of mine..**

**Disclaimer:  
>Nope… don't own it. And I've found when you almost kill of the original characters in every story you write their less inclined to even talk about ownership of it with you =_= But fear not, I have always have a plan. Until next time.<strong>

**Oh and if anyone has a request for something they want written drop me an inbox, I pretty much only write HopexLight and a little hopexfang. So if you have an idea and want a writer give me a buzz, just be prepared to work with me on it since if you don't I'll never get done...  
><strong>

**Laters  
>Selrahc<strong>


	2. I think I'm going to see you

The sunlight came into your room in a hazy way as dawn slowly broke. Lightning looked out the window at the beautiful scenery. Bodhum's beaches were gorgeous, with the light filtering down almost lazily to them, reflecting off the water and sand in the oddest way.

She had always thought the dawn was the nicest time of the day. It was when darkness and light danced together over the sky and the land. Until the darkness took its rest, leaving the world to the lights warm caress, waiting for the night return so they could dance together again.

"Ngh." However as Hope groaned her eye's tore from the dancing world and to his barely breathing form.

"Hope.." Lightning said in a breathless gasp as she ran to the side of his bed. "You're alright." The biggest smile crept its way unto her face, as pink hair fell around her head.

"Yeah.." Hope looked up at her, his eyes misted and face unreadable.

Lightning stared down into his eyes, looking for the wisdom and love she knew. His misted green eyes stared back up at her, seeming to slowly scan her face. He was trying to discern something, as though he was seeing her for the first ti…

"Who are you?" That sentence rang like a gun shot.

Lightning stared down at Hope, still smiling, as those words took root in her mind. Her hair fell in her eyes, obscuring them from his vision. Her lips twitched oddly and she drew in a low, sharp breath.

"N-no one.."

'_She sounded so broken, her pink hair falling into tear filled eyes. Her image still hangs in my pained dreams like a spiders silk, spinning a fragment of my past just out of my reach, and even if I did somehow manage to touch it then that thread would break and I would lose the last visages of who I once was.'_

"J-just.. Wrong room. Sorry to b-bother you…" The pink haired girl said as she backed away from Hope.

"Wait.." Hope started to say, but she was gone before he could even shakily stand. The last image he had of the girl was her tears as she ran away as fast as her panicked body could take her. "I didn't even get her name…"

Hope sunk back to the white hospital bed, feeling as though something important had just slipped from his grasp forever…

* * *

><p>"Hope."<p>

In a dark room laid the white haired teen, snoring softly under covers that were messily strewn about. Magazines of varying descriptions, from gaming and automotive magazines to manga and business, dirty clothing tossed half haphazardly across the room, a pair of white boxers even clinging desperately to the ceiling fan as it spun around in a painfully slow circle.

"Hey, come on man."

Two beds were in the room, tucked into opposite corners. One was made perfectly and, judging from the thick layer of dust that resided across it's top, had not been slept on in a very, very, long time. The one Hope laid on however was a proverbial train wreck, dozens of bloated pillows, with ugly clashing colors, and blankets layered at least seven inches thick covered everything but the one messy cowlick that protruded obscenely from the mess.

Between the two beds was a large dresser, with a proportionally large TV prominently sitting about the middle, wires running from the mid set of drawers and going all over the room, from filling every open port on the television to dozens of small silver speakers that were held up along the roof by thin wire, tape and string in a display that looked less then safe.

Though at the moment none of these things particularly stood at, as the oddest thing in the room happened to be known as Snow. A six foot tall hulk of a man with tufts of blond hair sticking out from under a black beanie. A goofy, though entirely sincere, smile split his face as he smoothed out his uniforms white coat, hands trailing down its front and to the pockets of his stylized dark blue, almost black, blue jeans, a white cat having been stitched into the left shin of the large breeches.

"Hope come on man!" Snow shouted, which caused his deep voice to echo off the walls like a gunshot, making Hope's cowlick twitch wakefully.

"Go away…" Hope groaned out sleepily from under the covers, his cowlick moving like a sharks fin as he moved about under the covers, trying to fall back to sleep.

Snow sighed, hands moving up to his hips, as he walked to the side of Hope's bed. The blond man tilted his head slightly to the right in thought. Perhaps in contemplation of how anyone could sleep as long as Hope, close to twelve hours now, or whether it was worth all the effort it to took to even wake him up in the first place.

"Man you need to get up." Snow leaned over the bed, giving the cowlick a stern look. "It's time to go over to Bodhum and meet the new students!" The cowlick drooped disinterestedly as the blonds grin bled even into his voice making it into a happy sound. "Come on, we need some more students to join our dorm if we want to compete with Raines this year."

"Don't care, need sleep." The cowlick disappeared under the covers as Hope sleep whined at Snow, who let out another long, belated, sigh and stood up to his full height.

"Oh well." Snow shrugged as he turned to leave Hope's room, casting a hand in an uncaring fashion over his shoulder. "I guess that means I'll have to greet our adoring fan girls all by myself, since my wing man 'just couldn't be bothered' with talking to those poor girl." Snow closed his eyes and started counting down from five in his head as he could practically hear Hope freeze.

"…Girls?" One of Hope's large, innocent, green eyes peaked out from the bottom of the covers at Snow.

"Yeah. Girls." Snow confirmed with a single nod. "The boys from fal'Cie Academy are always flocked by a sea of the prettiest women in Bodhum." Snow's voice had a note of dramatic flair, matched by the way he turned to look over at Hope. "But I know how much your sleep means to you, so I won't disturb you… I'll just tell you about it when I get back."

Without another word Snow walked out of the room, the door making a soft click behind him as he gently closed it so it wouldn't disturb Hope's obviously important sleep.

With the door shut silence descended over the hopelessly messy room like an overtly warm, uncomfortable, blanket. Hope's emerald green eye slowly narrowed at the door, as though willing daggers to fly from its handsome pupil and impale the man who just left through the wooden portal to the wakeful, outside, world.

But then, with a heavy sigh, the eye closed and covers were tossed carelessly into the air as Hope rolled out of bed. He landed softly on the floor, wearing nothing over his gently muscled body save a pair of silver, knee length, boxers and a tight fitting, long sleeved, sleep shirt.

His shoulder length shiny white hair fell down around his head in what could perhaps be described as a handsome mess. His face carrying an elegant slope about his nose and a certain strength in his cheeks, emerald green eyes staring tiredly up at the dresser, dark circles running under them.

With an odd, caterpillar like, motion Hope tried to waddle up to the dresser without having to stand up. Unfortunately for the teen fate seems to have decided otherwise, for as he neared the desk, bumping into it lightly, a magazine fell down and hit him in-between the eyes.

"Ow, ow." Hope muttered, rubbing the spot between his eyes.

With a glare at the offending magazine Hope grabs the top of the dresser and pulls his lanky body up to a standing position, only a barely noticeable wobble coming into his knees. The upper half of his body slowly sank down on top of the dresser, next to the TV, as he pulled a drawer open carelessly, hands reaching down into the clothing rich space in search for something to wear.

With a light grumble Hope stood up, pulling a black shirt over his pale skin. The material's silk like sheen was a fair match for the pallor of the boys skin. And the pair of black dress pants which he retrieved next only served to accentuate this.

With one hand clasped on the waist band of his pants, so they wouldn't fall down, Hope stumbled over to a spot on the floor, picking up a thick black choker belt, which he looped through his pants and tightened the two sizes to large breeches to his body.

With a little scrounging Hope found his white jacket, the stylish item of clothing wrinkled oddly. Which only fed into the messy rock star look that Hope had inadvertently, quite accidentally, formed about himself. A look that was oddly offset as he pulled a leather shoulder plate up from the ground.

The device fixed firmly around his right shoulder, a small copper circle rested firmly against his chest. A leather strap running across the buttoned up jacket and down his back, another around his side and a last strap over his shoulder all of which connected with a worn iron clasp on his back.

Along with the shoulder plate was a holster with Hope's folded up Arwing boomerang, painted a sleek silver color. It's black holster clipped easily to Hope's belt.

With one last visual sweep of the room Hope let out a belated sigh before tiredly trudging through the doorway and into the dimly lit hall. Where Snow waited, leaning on the wall across form the door, with arms crossed and grin affixed to his face.

"It's alive." Snow's voice called in mock surprise, echoing off the empty dark halls of their dorm.

"No, I'm actually dead but my spirit wanted to tag along, tell you you're an idiot, you know that kind of thing." Hope muttered in a sleep filled grumpy voice.

"Yeah, yeah." Snow poked Hope in the forehead before walking briskly down the hall. "Come on we don't want to miss the boat to shore…"

* * *

><p><em>Snow… I've never been sure what to think of him. He was one of the first people I met when my dad enrolled me here. He had been kind of intimidating when we first met, he's so tall and muscular and the serious look he wore when he saw me just gave my gut a sinking feeling. <em>

_But then he smiled and asked me if I wanted to join the PSICOM dorm. Having absolutely no idea what that meant, and having the pleasure of accidentally being intimidated by the man, I said yes._

_It's been almost five years now, and it still feels like the first few moments of my life. It's like just moments ago the pink haired girl was running away. I see it every time I close my eyes, every time I sleep. It's getting fuzzier as the days pass, but her image, as degraded as it's becoming, still makes me feel… alright, like I'm normal for reasons I just can't define in words.  
><em>

_I wonder who she was, the pink haired girl from my dreams. I couldn't help but wonder if I'd ever get the chance to meet her. And, looking back, I can't help but admit that fate has a funny way of making life interesting…_

* * *

><p>"Man…" Snow breathed in heavily, his boot planted on the front edge of the schools white ferry boat. "You just can't beat that Bodhum smell."<p>

"I don't know." yuj shrugged, his light blue hair brushing against the tops of his shoulders as he shook his head. "I like the malls and boutiques out in Eden a lot better. Not to mention the people they're dress better then these… backwaters hoodlums."

Hope glanced at Yuj from where he sat, legs dangling over the front of the boat with Snow standing above him. Yuj wore stylish dark slacks that were completely and utterly outshined by the magnificent pair of white boots he wore, an intricate style of buckles holding the seemingly oversized boots in place.

His white jacket featured custom stitching. Supple black cloth was sewn along the shoulders and all the way down the arms, silver lines, made of some kind of soft shiny material, etched gentle patters across his shirt and up to the pistol holster at his side, holster empty of it's training fire arm.

"Hey." Maqui piped up, jogging towards the group and pulling his orange goggles out of his eyes "Bochum's a wonderful place to grow up in."

Maqui wore loose black pants that bunched up about his ankle, falling over his comfortable skater shoes. A heavy duty tan belt ran around his waist, tools and contraptions of all descriptions sticking from it's deep pockets, his white dress shirt, stained with a myriad of colored stains, was lazily tucked under the belt, his trademark goggles resting atop his hair.

"Now, now." Snow winked at Hope as he turned to face Maqui and Yuj. "We don't have time to argue. We're here on a mission." Snow's hands came to his hips as he sternly looked around at his team. "Today we need to recruit people for our dorm if we want to keep up with everyone else."

"And not get disbanded." Hope added, looking back towards the distant Bodhum. "If we get disbanded we'll be split up into the other dorms."

"That's right." Yuj crossed his arms and nodded. "And I've seen the way the rest of them dress, I wouldn't be caught dead hanging around people with such… droll attire."

"…" Maqui and Snow both looked at Yuj in unified silence, slightly befuddled looks cross their faces in a comically matching manner.

"yeah… that's what we're worried about to." Maqui said, quietly taking a step away from Yuj. "I'm more worried about having to… interact with them." He added shyly.

"Don't worry." Hope's calm voice was met by the other NORA members turning to look at him. "We'll find enough people." Hope glanced at them over his shoulder. "we'll split up and get as many people to sign up as possible, we just need a dozen or so more applicants to keep our dormitory open."

Hope stood up, hand's lazily finding their way to his pockets, as he turned to face NORA. His emerald eyes scanned over the lot of them, coming to stop on Snows before rising to the sky, a smile splitting his face.

"We're team NORA." Hope made a fist with his right hand and held it out towards the others. "And no ones going to stand in our way."

"Ha-ha." Snow laughed as he bumped his fist against Hopes. "Spoken like a man Hope." Yuj and Maqui joined in, the four's fists touching.

"Attention." The four broke apart and turned to look at their headmaster, Cloud Farron. "We will be making landfall within the next half hour. We will stay in dock for the next four hours, giving each dorm leader and their administrative team a chance to get students signed into their respective dormitory's."

Cloud had long silver pink hair that was tied in a battle braid behind his back. An elegant face it's sharp crystalline blue eyes gave him an air of power and prestige, one that was further enhanced by the way his black trench coat flowed about his thin figure, gold stitching making it seem a piece of truly regal attire.

Patches adorned the left shoulder and breast of the coat, marking him as a former high ranking officer of the military. Medals were pinned across the right chest and made quite the display as the glinted under the sunlight, black canvas trousers and sturdy combat boots rounded out the appearance of some kind of royal knight.

"As you all know the Guardian Corp was last years highest ranked dormitory, coming in first place in five of eleven category's." Cloud stood on the highest deck of the boat and looked down at the collected students. "As such they are permitted the first pick of the new students."

Cloud's eyes scanned the students of the Guardian Corp dormitory. They were dressed in a uniformly immaculate manner, school uniforms each having the blue patch of the Guardian Corp displayed proudly on their left shoulder. Amongst them stood Cid, a tall male, over six feet in height.

His black hair was cut close to his handsome head, white cape enfolding his shoulders and falling down his back and around his shoulders to just above sturdy white boots. The sun created a glimmer as it reflected off the hilt of his powerful sword, the Lindblum.

"Remember." Cloud looked over at the four NORA members. "While we are docked you represent the finest of the fal'Cie academy. I expect you to be on your best behavior this year, understood?" A chorus of yes sirs rose up to grace Cloud's ears, along with a salute from Snow. "Then I wish you all good luck."

Hope watched Cloud walk towards the cabin, Cid falling in step beside him, talking about something probably related to recruitment. Until he turned his head back towards Hope. The two shared a stare for a moment before Cid waved and resumed his stride next to Cloud.

* * *

><p><em>Cid Raines. leading member of the Guardian Corp dormitory, leading combat specialist and one of the five best tacticians in school. I met him a few months after I first arrived, back then we were all part of the same dormitory, PSICOM. <em>

_We met because our birthdays fell on the same day in the spring, and as such when the dormitory leader made a surprise party we both met, and we were almost instantly rivals. I can't say exactly how, or why, but me and him have been in competition ever since and because of that competition have both wound up the school brightest students._

_PSICOM, on the last year before it disbanded, came in first in ten of eleven category's. This was thanks mostly to me, Cid and Snow. But then Drysley, the leader of our dormitory, quit suddenly leaving his adult staff to pick up the pieces. Jihl and Gadot were the most prominent figures left and the staff split around them._

_Eventually Gadot left the PSICOM dormitory's, taking Snow, Yuj and Maqui with him. Jihl renamed PSICOM into the Guardian Corp's, a name Cid suggested, while Gadot formed NORA, with Snow acting like the unofficial leader._

_I stayed with the Guardian Corp for the first month or so, hoping Snow and the others would come back I guess. But as management changed it became more like a military then a bunch of like minded students, so I left._

_NORA went on to take up residence in the old dormitory and try to be competitive in the school. But with our utter lack of members we lost almost everything. To make it worse we need at least sixteen members to not be disbanded. If it wasn't for Cloud owing Gadot a favor we would have been disbanded before last year was finished._

_Back then the only thing I was worried about was keeping NORA from being disbanded. I never imagined just how much NORA would change my life… for better or worse may have been up for debate.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Lightning stretched leisurely as she set out from the house. The boat would come into dock in about thirty minutes, which gave her plenty of time to walk to the pier, sign up for one of the dormitory's, probably the Guardian Corp because of what her father had said about them.<p>

The chirp of birds caught Lightning's attention. A pair of cardinals were fluttering through the leafless trees, making happy, lover, like sounds as they raced across the air above Lightning. Her blue eyes traced the pair like a gun sight, tooth pick poking out from her frowning lips

_Love._ She thought coldly as an eagle swooped down and grabbed one of the birds out of the air. _It's so temporary and painful. _The other bird flew away as fast as it's wings could carry, Lightning could almost see the fear in it's little eyes. _It only leaves us hurt…_

Lightning looked forward again, hands in her white vests pockets. She trudged forwards lost in thought over the last five years. How difficult it had been, with her father gone most of the time Lightning had wound up pseudo parent to Serah.

Taking care of Serah had become the driving focus of her life. Making sure she was fed, getting her to the doctor, keeping her safe. Then there was the help she had needed in math, and knuckle headed males who made passes at her, passes which ended in their own broken noses.

But in a couple years Serah had become mostly self sufficient, even managing to do more around the house then her ever busier older sister. And this hurt Lightning, to see how Serah out grew any real need to have her around.

So while Serah grew up Lightning became more and more distanced from her. Eventually taking up with a motorcycle club, which was more of a gang then anything else.

The adaptable girl had risen through their ranks and easily rested as their leader. With both finesse of mind and strength of body she proved herself a capable leader. But leader or not her control over the club was scathingly limited. Half of it's members were captured by police in a drug bust three years ago.

Lightning, who was unaware of the drug business her club was apparently perpetrating, left. The rest of her group either disbanded or was arrested in the following weeks, the only reason she wasn't arrested to was her father's influence.

As it turned out fal'Cie academy had come to a prominent position, her fathers former military record and general charismatic aura had made it a household name in a few short years. The money it generated, and the quality of it's first graduating class, marked Cloud as a very successful man.

Lightning honestly didn't care one bit at the time. All she cared about was the fact losing Hope still hurt so bad, the fact her sister didn't need her anymore, and the fact that her father was almost never home more then a day every couple of months.

The next year seemed slow and painful. Her grades slipped to barely passing and her attitude switched from violently angry to morbidly depressed at seemingly odd times. But she slowly built up walls of ice, walls that protected her from the pain and left a cold calculated person in their wake.

That cold person's grades easily became one the highest at her school, became a presence in her sisters life that was valuable again and managed to live easily without her father having to be there at all.

And then, last winter, out of the blue Lightning's father showed up. Just days before the new year he spent the weekend with them, asked if she had heard anything from Hope, how school had been and a plethora of question Lightning was fairly certain he cared nothing about.

_And then he decided to make the bet._ Lightning's lip twitched upwards into a cold representation of a smile. _If I can pass for a male student in fal'Cie academy I'll graduate with enough credentials to protect Serah… maybe even someday protect Hope to._

Lightning was so lost in these thoughts she didn't realize she'd accidentally walked off the sidewalk and into a park that was close to the pier. And as she looked around she really didn't care, it would be easy enough to get to the dock from here, and besides she enjoyed the way the leafless tree's looked around her, the frigid touch of the wind that chilled her very bones.

It all felt very nice as she walked down the concrete path that wound through the park. It was a place she used to come with Hope when they were little.

That realization left a painful pang in her chest. One that grew as a particular tree caught her eye, one she approached with slightly less then steady legs. The tree rose up a good twelve feet into the air, tall and sturdy but still young and small compared to the hulking giants that surrounded it.

Lightning stopped in front of it, looking up at it's top while a hand slowly moved out to touch the tender bark. Her eyes fell down to where her hand was, watching the limb as it trailed around the side of the tree.

A memory of her and Hope came to mind. One where they were planting a little tree here, laughing and throwing clumps of dirt at each other over the small thing.

At the end of the day, when the tree had been planted perfectly and the landscape around it successfully un-rooted, they had lain down beside it, Hope ever so innocently holding Lightning hand.

He had said something dopey, and with that big innocent smile of his, took Lightning's knife and carved a heart into the tree. He said it would grow, just like their love, or something like that.

Lightning's hand ran across the heart, which was now above her head. She had to take a step back to view the small heart, and when she did she frowned distantly.

It wasn't a perfect shape. It was clearly drawn by a Childs hand, it's line squiggled and zagged a bit, the distinct 3 like shape at the tope came out closer to a V. But it was somehow wonderful in it's imperfections, complete in it's utter simplicity… and utterly painful.

A single tear formed in Lightning's eye, slowly sliding down her face and falling to the ground as her sharp blue eye's watched. The drop of moisture landed with a quietly loud sound on her boot, at the base of the tree, letting a small design catch her eye.

Carefully Lightning kneeled down to get a look at the small, new, engraving against the trunk. With a steady hand she brushed the dirt away and marveled at the intricate carving.

It was of a girl with long hair, running away with tears streaming down her face. It was so beautiful in it's artwork, intricate in it's carving. Someone with indomitable skill had to have done this.

As Lightning looked down the carving she saw some words on the bottom. With a little more digging she cleared them away enough to read, and then freeze in place.

'I'm always thinking about you, I wish I could have known you. -Hope Eshtiem.' It was dated last year. Hope had been here last year, been here thinking about her, last year.

_Hope…_ Lightning touched the carving in an almost obsessive way. _I'm so sorry….  
><em>

"Hey, hey, hey." Lightning frowned angrily at the annoyingly weasely voice. "What do we have here?" A voice that, as she stood up, was already grating on her nerves. "One of those fal'Cie academy rich boys."

Lightning looked over at the source of her annoyance, to see a group of gangly punks walking her way. Their leader, a man with a ridiculous red Mohawk, sneered at her as he approached, hands in his worn out pockets.

"I'd suggest you running away." Lightning growled, her sharp canines showing as she barred her teeth like an animal. "If you leave now I'll even forgot your ugly faces."

"I'm afraid that just ain't going to cut it." The man said as his thugs surrounded her.

The mean leaned towards Lightning, about to say something, when a silver blur flew past his face, cutting off a few locks of his hair. The object made a wide circle, bashing the thugs in the head and knocking the unconscious as it arced through air, heading back from where it had been thrown.

"Wh-what the hell!" The leader shouted, hopping back from Lightning and looking down at his injured comrades. "You… you'll pay for this!" The man shouted as him and his goons got up in a hurry, running in a decidedly retreat like direction.

Lightning meanwhile looked sharply towards where the boomerang was thrown, ready for a fight. Her eye's found a figure walking towards her, the sun eclipsed behind him causing hi to look like a shadow with messy hair, and a very bad cowlick standing up on his head like an antenna.

"Sorry about that." Lightning's eyes went wide, her body slackened, as she heard 'his' voice. "Are you alright?"

The sun moved aside, letting Lightning look out at the white haired man that stood before her. His eye's the kindest green she had ever seen, slightly taller and leaner then her, his lips curling up into the gentlest of smiles that just served to make him look like some kind of saint.

"Hope…"

* * *

><p><em>I have to say, Lightning, that this, meeting you in that instant, was the beginning of the most interesting school year of my life.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>(AN)**

**Alot's changed since the first chapter, alots the same to I guess. I'm still depressed, more then I was when I wrote the first chapter, but the girl I was talking to who I liked is my fiancee now. She makes me feel better most of the time so that's good. My suicidal friends have all either finally commited the act or are now trying to talk me out of my own depression (which is nice and annoying at the same time) College, isn't so bad, I want to finish it as quickly as possible since my fiancee and I agreed to not get married until after I graduate (since my father agreed he'd help pay for it if I didn't.**

**A summers day is the next title I plan to update, if I hit writers block on it you'll see another chapter of this in about a week. This chapter was supposed to be done yesterday, but my fiancee came over and wanted to hang out (Ironically we played the ps3 all day, including FFXIII Which she likes now) so I didn't finish writing till late last night. I'm sick today so I'm staying home from school (besides I have everything I need to do turned in and all my hours are accounted for) and edited this a couple times. I didn't catch all of the grammar mistakes I know, but I think I generally did better then the last chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Yes, all copy right was intended and is obviously being used for malicious purposes since I posted it here, we all know that you make gold bars by posting things on . Seriously though, I don't own it. I'm just writing because my fiancee told me to get out of bed and start doing things I enjoy again and writing is something i like so... here I am.**

**As always I hope you enjoyed your read, for those of you who've been waiting I apologize, there is no good excuse for being gone this long, but at least new content is being released now, thank you all for you patience and thank you everyone who reviewed, favorited, and subscribed.**

**Laters.  
>Chazz<br>**


End file.
